Method for the production of a drilling jig

ABSTRACT

A method for producing a drilling jig to drill a drill hole in a jaw of a patient to insert a tooth implant therein includes providing a prosthesis with an individualized part and a standardized plate part. The prosthesis is adapted to and placed on the at least one of the jaw and teeth of the patient. A three-dimensional digital jaw model is created. The tooth implant is designed and digitally constructed in the three-dimensional digital jaw model. A drilling model is formed with a drilling model drill channel using the three-dimensional digital jaw model showing the planned tooth implant. The drilling model is mounted on the prosthesis. A prosthesis drill channel is drilled into the prosthesis in alignment with the drilling model drill channel to form the drilling jig for drilling the drill hole in the jaw of the patient for the tooth implant.

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2010/052333, filed on Feb.24, 2010 and which claims benefit to German Patent Application No. 102009 010 699.5, filed on Feb. 27, 2009. The International Applicationwas published in German on Sep. 2, 2010 as WO 2010/097405 A1 under PCTArticle 21(2).

FIELD

The present invention provides a method for the production of a drillingjig for drilling a drill hole in a patient's jaw for the purpose ofinserting a tooth implant.

BACKGROUND

A dental prosthesis, e.g. a crown or a bridge, may be supported by animplant, hereinafter referred to as a tooth implant. Generally, such animplant is a rotationally symmetric implant and, in this respect, suchan implant usually is a screw implant. Before the rotationally symmetricimplant is placed into the patient's jaw, the patient's jaw is preparedby drilling a drill hole for the implant.

The spatial position of the implant drill hole in the patient's jaw andof the crown to be eventually fastened on the implant, are planned at acomputer and with the help of a three-dimensional digital jaw modelcaptured using imaging techniques, which model represents the patient'sjaw and the existing teeth of the patient. After the implant drill holein the jaw has been planned and defined spatially, the implant drillhole must be drilled in the patient's jaw in exactly the manner asplanned.

For this purpose a drilling jig is used which is set on the patient'sjaw or, as far as existing, on the patient's teeth in a defined spatialorientation and which has a drill channel for guiding a drill, whichchannel may also be referred to as a guiding channel. For the drillingjig to be placed in a defined spatial orientation with respect to thepatient's jaw, it has to present a corresponding negative of theocclusal surfaces of the teeth or of the patient's jaw. The drillingjig's drill channel serves as an axial guide for the drill with whichthe drill hole is drilled into the patient's jaw, and may also serve asa depth stop, if so desired.

DE 199 52 962 A describes how the tooth implant and the correspondingimplant bore are planned digitally from all of the digitalthree-dimensional information about the patient's jaw, the patient'steeth etc. A complex drilling jig is eventually produced therefrom,having the negative of the occlusal surfaces of the still existing teethof the patient and a drilling jig drill channel. EP 1 043 960 describesproducing a complete drilling jig from a single piece.

Producing such drilling jigs is technically challenging, in particularbecause of the complex shape of the negative of the occlusal surfaces ofthe neighboring teeth of the planned implant, so that an expensive CADapparatus is required for this purpose and rather long manufacturingtimes occur in the production of a drilling jig.

An adjustable drilling device is described in DE 195 10 294 A with whicha drill channel is drilled into a surgical jig so that eventually adrilling jig is obtained for drilling the drill hole necessary for theplanned implant into the patient's jaw.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for theproduction of a drilling jig and a drilling jig, which require littleeffort in the production of the finished drilling jig.

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for producinga drilling jig to drill a drill hole in a jaw of a patient to insert atooth implant therein which includes providing a prosthesis with anindividualized part and a standardized plate part. The prosthesis isadapted to and placed on the at least one of the jaw and teeth of thepatient. A three-dimensional digital jaw model is created. The toothimplant is designed and digitally constructed in the three-dimensionaldigital jaw model. A drilling model is formed with a drilling modeldrill channel using the three-dimensional digital jaw model showing theplanned tooth implant. The drilling model is mounted on the prosthesis.A prosthesis drill channel is drilled into the prosthesis in alignmentwith the drilling model drill channel to form the drilling jig fordrilling the drill hole in the jaw of the patient for the tooth implant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in greater detail below on the basisof embodiments and of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates the sequence of method steps,

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a lower jaw with the prosthesis ofthe present invention in place, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a lower jaw with the prosthesis in placeand with a drilling model.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment of the present invention, a prosthesis is adapted tothe jaw and/or the teeth of a patient. Hereinafter, this prosthesis isalso referred to as a reference plate, since it serves as a spatialreference by establishing a defined fixed spatial reference to thepatient's jaw or the patient's teeth while the three-dimensional digitaljaw model is captured, while supporting the drilling model, and finallywhile serving as the drilling jig.

The reference plate (prosthesis) may be produced, for example, by takinga negative impression of the patient's jaw or the patient's teeth, usingan impression compound. This negative impression is a part of thereference plate so that the reference plate (prosthesis) can always beset on the patient's jaw or the patient's teeth in an identical spatialposition. The reference plate (prosthesis) further comprises at leastone coupling part and at least two reference markers. The referencemarkers are opaque in all subsequent imaging processes, i.e., they arevisible in particular during the subsequent capturing of athree-dimensional digital jaw model.

After the reference plate (prosthesis) has been set on the patient's jawor the patient's teeth, known imaging methods and devices are used tomake a three-dimensional digital jaw model of the jaw and the teeth ofthe patient as well as of the reference markers of the reference plate(prosthesis) set thereon.

When the jaw model has been captured, the tooth implant is digitallyplanned and constructed at a computer. The spatial orientation of thetooth implant in the patient's jaw is, for example, planned and defined,whereby the spatial orientation and the depth of the drill hole in thepatient's jaw into which the implant is to beset or screwed on later,are also defined. By defining the spatial orientation of the drill holein the patient's jaw, the spatial orientation of a drill channel in thedrilling jig is defined as well.

A drilling model, which model will hereinafter also be referred to as atransfer jig, is thereafter digitally constructed using the digitalthree-dimensional jaw model and the digitally constructed implantincluding the planned and spatially defined drill hole in the jaw. Thiscan, for example, occur in an automated manner. The transfer jig(drilling model) thus constructed is adapted to the reference plate(prosthesis) and to the coupling parts of the reference plate(prosthesis) such that the transfer jig (drilling model) can be fixed tothe reference plate (prosthesis) in a defined orientation and position.The constructed transfer jig (drilling model) comprises a drilling modeldrill channel that is in exact axial alignment with the later referenceplate/drilling jig drill channel and with the planned jaw drill hole forthe implant when the transfer jig is fixed on the reference plate andthe latter is fixed on the jaw.

Based on the digital jaw model including the planned tooth implant andthe planned implant drill hole, the transfer jig (drilling model) isproduced, with the transfer jig (drilling model) comprising a guidingdrill channel and a coupling part that is adjusted to the coupling partof the reference plate (prosthesis) such that the transfer jig (drillingmodel) can be fixed to the reference plate (prosthesis) in a definedorientation and position.

The transfer jig (drilling model) is connected to the reference plate(prosthesis) such that coupling parts fix the transfer jig (drillingmodel) to the reference plate (prosthesis) in a defined orientation andposition.

A drill guided in the transfer jig drill channel is then used to drill areference plate drill channel into the reference plate (prosthesis),whereby the reference plate (prostheses) becomes a drilling jig.

A dentist places the drilling jig onto the patient's jaw or thepatient's teeth in the position defined by the negative impression.During the subsequent drilling of the drill hole into the patient's jaw,the drill channel serves as a guide for the drill.

The method of the present invention makes it possible to produce adrilling jig in a simple manner. The fact that the transfer plate(prosthesis) eventually forms the drilling jig allows for an exactpositioning of the drilling jig on the patient's jaw since the drillingjig is constructed directly and without any intermediate molds from thetransfer plate (prosthesis).

In an embodiment, the transfer plate (prosthesis) used in the method ofthe present invention may, for example, comprise a standardized partincluding the coupling parts and the reference markers, and anindividualized part that will be or is adapted to the body part, i.e.,the patient's jaw and/or the patient's teeth. The transfer jig (drillingmodel) may also be a standardized part adapted to the standardized partof the reference plate (prosthesis). The drill channel can, for example,be drilled into the standardized transfer jig (drilling model) using adigitally controlled drill.

In practice, the standardized transfer jigs and reference plates may beused as follows:

First, the attending dentist takes a (negative) mechanical impression ofthe relevant jaw of a patient or of the associated teeth of a patientusing a suitable impression compound. The dentist has a stock ofstandardized plate parts of reference plates. After the impressioncompound has cured, the negative impression body thus obtained is fixed,e.g. glued, on a reference plate by its planar rear side that isopposite the impression side. The impression body is an individualizedpart and is combined with the standardized plate part to form areference plate.

The impression compound may alternatively applied onto the plate part ofthe reference plate before taking the impression, and the impressioncompound may be set on the patient's jaw together with the plate part totake the impression. For the curing of the impression compound, theimpression compound can be removed from the jaw together with the platepart of the reference plate.

The impression can also be taken extra-orally using a so-called realmodel of the patient's jaw.

When the impression compound has been cured, the reference plate isagain placed on the patient's jaw by the impression side.Two-dimensional or three-dimensional imaging methods are thereafter usedto create a three-dimensional digital jaw model including the patient'sjaw, the teeth and the reference markers of the reference plate.

At a computer the dentist thereafter plans and constructs the toothimplant in the three-dimensional jaw model. Here, the spatialorientation of the longitudinal axis of the implant in the patient's jawis defined, and the spatial orientation and possibly the depth of theimplant drill hole in the patient's jaw are defined. The entire dataset, comprising the digital jaw model and the information about thespatial orientation of the implant drill hole, may now transmitted bythe dentist to a central transfer jig production site via, for example,the internet.

Based on the jaw model data set transmitted, a drill channel is drilledinto the standardized transfer jig at the transfer jig production sitesuch that this drill channel would be in exact alignment with theplanned implant drill hole if the transfer jig were fixed to thereference plate set on the patient's jaw. When the drill channel hasbeen drilled, the transfer jig can be shipped to the dentist.

The dentist places the transfer jig onto the reference plate in aposition defined and standardized by the coupling parts, inserts a drillinto the transfer jig drill channel and drills a drill channel into thereference plate in alignment with the transfer jig drill channel. Thetransfer jig is then removed from the reference plate. The referenceplate, now having a drill channel, has thus become a drilling jig thatmay be applied onto the patient's jaw.

After having been set on the patient's jaw, the drill channel of thedrilling jig is used by the dentist as a guide bore for the drill withwhich the drill hole for the implant is drilled into the patient's jaw.

The reference plate (prosthesis) and/or the transfer jig (drillingmodel) may also comprise an articulation point for the articulatedconnection of a bite fork thereto.

It is also possible that the reference plate (prosthesis) and/or thetransfer jig (drilling model) are connectable to an articulator.

In this manner, it is possible to check the information contained in theprosthesis and/or the drilling model by means of a simulation of the jawjoint movements or to use them in constructing a dental prosthesis.

In an embodiment, the method of the present invention can, for example,comprise the additional step:

digitally constructing a dental prosthesis based on the digitalthree-dimensional jaw model or the digitally constructed implant,wherein the dental prosthesis is adapted to the digital surface model.

The present invention thus advantageously allows the same digital modelsemployed in constructing the implant to also be used in the constructionof the dental prosthesis that is later fastened on the implant. Thisallows for an exact construction of the dental prosthesis. Adapting thedental prosthesis to the digital surface model makes it possible toadapt the dental prosthesis to the adjacent teeth, the so-calledabutment teeth, in an advantageous manner.

In an embodiment, the dental prosthesis can, for example, be producedusing a CAM method.

In an embodiment, the present invention further provides a drilling jigfor preparing a bone for a medical implant or to drill a drill hole fora tooth implant, the drilling jig having a reference plate (prosthesis)adapted to at least one portion of the body part or to the patient'sjaw, the transfer plate (prosthesis) comprising coupling parts forcoupling model parts thereto, such as a drilling model, and a drillingmodel adapted to the medical implant and the prosthesis, the prosthesisand the drilling model being connectable via the coupling parts. In thiscontext, the drilling jig is to be understood as a system formed by theprosthesis and the drilling model.

In combination with the method of the present invention, the presentinvention provides a drilling jig of low manufacturing cost which canadvantageously be positioned exactly on a portion of a body part or onthe jaw, respectively.

In an embodiment, the present invention provides that the referenceplate (prosthesis) comprises at least two reference markers suited toform reference points in digital images of the reference plate(prosthesis). It is thus possible to allow for a digital construction ofthe drilling model using the above-described method.

The prosthesis can be of a bipartite design and comprises anindividualized part adapted to the at least one portion of a body partor to the jaw and a standardized plate part.

This advantageously allows for an economic production of the prosthesis.

The present invention provides, for example, that the standardized platepart comprises the at least two reference markers and the couplingparts.

It may be provided that the drilling model and/or the prosthesis have anarticulation point for articulating a bite fork thereto.

The prosthesis and/or the drilling model can, for example, be adaptedfor a connection with an articulator.

The information included in the prosthesis and/or the drilling model canthereby be checked during a simulation of the jaw joint movement or itmay be used in constructing a dental prosthesis.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a method for planning amedical implant may comprise the following steps:

producing a prosthesis adapted to at least one portion of a body part,wherein the prosthesis comprises at least two reference markers;

creating at least one transversal layer image of the at least oneportion of the body part, wherein, as the images are created, theprosthesis is situated on the body part, such that the at least tworeference markers of the prosthesis are visible in at least one of thetransversal layer images;

segmenting the at least one transversal layer image and forming adigital three-dimensional model of at least a part of the at least oneportion of the body part from the at least one transversal layer image,the digital three-dimensional model including position data of the atleast two reference markers;

capturing surface data of the at least one portion of the body part orof a real model of the at least one portion of the body part, wherein,during the capturing of the surface data, the prosthesis is situated onthe body part or on the real model, and creating a digitalthree-dimensional surface model of the at least one portion of the bodypart using the surface data, the digital three-dimensional surface modelincluding position data of the at least two reference markers;

combining the digital surface model and the digital three-dimensionalmodel and positioning the digital three-dimensional model with respectto the digital surface model using the position data of the at least tworeference markers; and

digitally constructing the medical implant based on the digitalthree-dimensional model as well as on its position in the digitalthree-dimensional model, the digitally constructed implant and itsposition being adapted to the digital surface model.

The method is advantageous in that three-dimensional data of the innerparts must be available only for a part of the at least one portion ofthe body part, which data are obtained from two-dimensional layerimages. Since the prosthesis is adapted to the at least one portion ofthe body part, the prosthesis can always be positioned at exactly thesame position of the body part so that, when the layer images are takenand the surface data are captured, the prosthesis always has exactly thesame position with respect to this body part.

This allows for an exact positioning of the three-dimensional modelcreated from the layer images with respect to the digitalthree-dimensional surface model created from the surface data, using thereference markers which may be provided e.g. as spheres on theprosthesis.

It is ultimately not necessary for the capturing of the surface data totake a surface scan of the at least one portion of the body part, but itis also possible to scan an already existing real model of the at leastone portion of the body part with the prosthesis in place. This may beadvantageous, for example, when the method is used to plan dentalimplants, since often real models of a portion of a patient's body part,such as a portion of the jaw, are already available. The patienttherefore does not have to undergo another capturing of data, becausethe surface data can be determined in the laboratory using the realmodel and the prosthesis. The real model may have been made in aconventional manner by means of an impression. It is also possible thatthe real model is based on medical data, such as data from a surfacesensor obtained during a computer tomography or digital volumetomography (DVT).

Since the digital three-dimensional model also includes inner tissueparts of the at least one portion of the body part, an advantageousconstruction of a medical implant is possible since, for example, nervetracts inside the body part or the like can be taken into consideration.At the same time, the positioning of the digital three-dimensional modelwith respect to the digital three-dimensional surface model makes itpossible to adapt the digitally constructed implant to the surrounding.For example, if the method is used in a dental context, it is possibleto adapt the implants to neighboring teeth since the position and thesize of the neighboring teeth can be taken from the surface model.

It may be provided that a panoramic layer image or a longitudinalsection image of the at least one portion of the body part is taken inaddition to the transversal layer image, with the prosthesis being inplace on the body part as the panoramic layer image or the longitudinalsection image is taken, such that at least one of the at least tworeference markers of the prosthesis is discernible on the panoramiclayer image or the longitudinal section image and that, for the creationof the digital three-dimensional model, the panoramic layer image or thelongitudinal section image is used in addition to the at least onetransversal layer image.

Since X-ray apparatuses that allow taking transversal layer imagesmostly also allow taking panoramic layer images or longitudinal sectionimages, such a panoramic layer image or longitudinal section image canbe made with little effort and at low cost. Since the panoramic layerimage or the longitudinal section image extends approximatelyorthogonally to at least one of the approximately parallel transversallayer images, the accuracy of the digital three-dimensional model can beimproved by adding the panoramic layer image or the longitudinal sectionimage. It may be provided that the panoramic layer image or thelongitudinal section image is segmented when the digitalthree-dimensional model is formed.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the method may includeanother step relating to the production of a real model that representsat least a portion of a body part, wherein the prosthesis is, forexample, made using this real model and/or the surface data aredetermined based on the real model. The production of the real modelmay, for example, be the first step of the method.

Due to the production of a real model, it is possible to produce theprosthesis and the capture the surface data in a simple manner in thelaboratory so that no additional consultation is required from thepatient. The real model can be produced using a conventional impressionor data from a surface scan of the at least one portion of the bodypart. In addition or as an alternative, data from a computer tomographyor a digital volume tomography may also be used.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the course of a method for planning adental implant in the lower jaw of a patient.

First, a real model of the lower jaw 1 and of the teeth 5 of a patientis made in a conventional manner. This can be effected by a surface scanof the jaw 1 and the teeth 5 or with the use of data from computertomography or digital volume tomography. It is also possible to createthe real model in a conventional manner by taking a mechanicalimpression of the jaw 1.

A prosthesis 3 adapted to the lower jaw 1 is thereafter formed,comprising two or three reference markers 7. The prosthesis 3 may beadapted to the real model of the lower jaw 1 or directly to the lowerjaw 1 of the patient. The prosthesis 3 may be adapted to the jaw 1and/or the teeth 5 for example in a conventional manner by taking animpression using known impression compounds. The cured impression 3 b ofthe jaw, which is an individualized part 3 b of the prosthesis 3, may beconnected, e.g. glued, to a standardized prosthesis plate part 3 a toform the prosthesis 3.

A surface scan is performed on the real model of the lower jaw 1 withthe prosthesis 3 in place, with the surface scan also capturing imagedata of the reference markers 7 of the prosthesis 3. It is alternativelypossible to also make the surface scan on the lower jaw 1 of thepatient, in which case the prosthesis 3 is in place on the lower jaw 1of the patient.

A three-dimensional surface model is created from the surface scan ofthe lower jaw 1 with the prosthesis 3 in place, wherein the positiondata of the reference markers 7 of the prosthesis 3 are included in thesurface model.

Three transversal layer images and a panoramic layer image or alongitudinal section image of the lower jaw 1 of a patient are thentaken, with the prosthesis 3 being in place on the lower jaw 1 of thepatient as the images are taken. The transversal layer images and thepanoramic layer image or the longitudinal section image are taken ofthat portion of the lower jaw 1 of the patient in which the implant islater to be implanted on. Here, the longitudinal section image extendsorthogonally to at least one of the transversal layer images andpreferably centrally with respect to at least one of the transversallayer images.

The transversal layer image and the panoramic layer image or thelongitudinal section image may be taken with a conventional dental X-rayapparatus.

The transversal layer images and the panoramic layer image or thelongitudinal section image are then segmented by digitally marking theportions of the image that belong to a tissue part of the lower jaw or atooth on the different images. The reference markers 7 of the prosthesis3 also visible on the images are also segmented.

By segmenting the individual portions of the images a three-dimensionalmodel of the captured portion of the lower jaw 1 can be digitallyformed, the three-dimensional model including the position data of thereference markers 7 of the prosthesis 3 in place.

The digitally formed three-dimensional model may then be combined withthe three-dimensional model obtained from the surface scan, it beingpossible to position the two models exactly with respect to each otherdue to the reference markers 7.

The combination of the two models forms a common jaw model that includesthe portion of the lower jaw 1, where the implant is to be implanted, ina three-dimensional form with information about the inner tissue parts,whereas the other portions of the lower jaw only exist as surface data.

Based on this jaw model, the implant can now be constructed digitally inthe three-dimensional model. Here, it is not only possible to take intoconsideration the inner tissue parts existing in the portion of thelower jaw 1 where the implant is to be implanted, but it is alsopossible to adapt the implant to the neighboring teeth 5 that can beseen in the three-dimensional surface model.

An appropriate implant can then be selected or produced based on thedigital construction of the implant.

Using the digital jaw models formed, a drilling jig 10 is made that isused in drilling the drill hole 21 in the jaw 1 necessary for theimplant. It may be provided that a drilling model 11 is digitallyconstructed based on the three-dimensional model and the digitallyconstructed implant.

The drilling model 11 can then be made, e.g. with the help of a 3Dprinter or with the use of a construction method. It is provided thatthe drilling model 11 is adapted to the prosthesis 3. It is thuspossible that the drilling model 11 is a standardized part, the shape ofthe drilling model 11 obtained by digital construction being transferredin a conventional manner to the standardized part by means of a materialremoving method. The finished drilling model 11 has a drill channel 15that forms a drill guide for drilling the drill channel 20 in theprosthesis 3.

The drilling model 11 is then connected to the prosthesis 3. For thispurpose, the prosthesis 3 may comprise connecting parts and/or couplingparts 9, for example, to which the drilling model 11 or the drillingmodel coupling parts 13 are adapted.

The drilling model 11 is then used to drill the prosthesis drill channel20 in the prosthesis 3 so that the prosthesis 3 can form the drillingjig 10 either by itself or in combination with the drilling model 11.

The use of the prosthesis 3 as a drilling jig 10 or as a part of thedrilling jig 10 is advantageous because the prosthesis 3 is used toobtain the data necessary for the construction of the drilling jig 10and the positioning of the drilling jig 10 for the drilling of the drillhole 21 is effected using the same prosthesis 3. This provides an exactpositioning of the drilling jig 10 on the jaw 1 for the drilling of thedrilling hole 21 in the jaw 1.

The method may further provide that a dental prosthesis can be digitallyconstructed using the three-dimensional model and the digitallyconstructed implant, with the dental prosthesis possibly being adaptedto the three-dimensional surface model. It is thus possible to alsoconstruct the dental prosthesis using the same data that are used toconstruct the implant, wherein the dental prosthesis can advantageouslybe adapted to the digitally constructed implant and to the neighboringteeth that are visible in the three-dimensional surface model.

The dental prosthesis can then be produced in a further step, e.g. withthe help of a CAM method, such as stereo-lithography, or 3D printing ora material removing method, e.g. a milling method.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic illustration of a lower jaw 1 of apatient with a prosthesis 3 set thereon.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the prosthesis 3 coversall teeth 5 still existing in the lower jaw of the patient. Of course,it is also possible that the prosthesis 3 is adapted to only a portionof the lower jaw 1 and covers only a portion of the lower jaw 1.

The prosthesis 3 has a lower side (front side) adapted to the teeth 5 ofthe lower jaw 1. On the upper side (rear side) of the prosthesis 3, tworeference markers 7 are schematically illustrated. In the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the reference markers 7 are respectivelyformed as metal hemispheres. Of course, other shapes of the referencemarkers 7 are also conceivable, which are visible on layer images takenin the context of the above-described method and in the surface scanmade according to the above-described method.

The prosthesis 3 further comprises a plurality of coupling parts 9suited for coupling model parts thereto, for example for coupling thedrilling model 11 thereto.

The prosthesis 3 may be of a unitary design. The prosthesis 3 can, forexample, be of a multi-part design, with the prosthesis 3 comprising astandardized plate part 3 a at or in which the reference markers 7 andthe coupling parts 9 are arranged, and an individualized part 3 badapted to the jaw 1 of a patient, e.g. by taking an impression usingknown impression compounds.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a drilling jig 10 of the presentinvention. The drilling jig 10 is formed by the prosthesis 3 and adrilling model 11. The drilling model 11 is adapted to the prosthesis 3and can be connected to the prosthesis 3. For this purpose, the drillingmodel 11 has coupling openings 13 in the lower side that are adapted tothe coupling parts 9 of the prosthesis 3 and thus form the couplingparts 9, 13 of the drilling model. Further, the lower side of thedrilling model 11 is provided with recesses 14 adapted to the referencemarkers 7. It is thus possible to connect the drilling model 11 flushwith the prosthesis 3.

The drilling model 11 has a drill channel 15 constructed according tothe method according to the present invention and transferred to thedrilling model 11. Here, the drilling model 11 may be a standardizedpart onto which the drill channel 15 has been transferred using amaterial depositing or a material removing method, for example bydrilling the drill channel 15. Using the above described method, theentire drilling model 11 may alternatively be formed as an individualpart corresponding to the respective construction.

Using the drilling model 11 placed on the prosthesis 3 in a positiondefined by the coupling parts 9, 13, a drill channel 20 can be made ordrilled in the prosthesis 3, which channel serves as a drill guide. Theprosthesis 3 can form, either by itself or together with the drillingmodel 11, the drilling jig 10 for drilling a drill hole 21 in the lowerjaw 1 into which the implant can then be inserted or screwed.

Since the above-described method uses the same prosthesis 3 for theconstruction of the implant, of the drill hole 21 for the implant in thejaw 1, and of the drilling jig 10, and the same prosthesis 3 iseventually also used in positioning the drilling jig 10, an exactpreparation of the jaw 1 or drilling of the drill hole 21 for theimplant in the jaw 1 is possible.

In a non-illustrated embodiment the prosthesis and/or the drilling modelmay comprise articulation points for a bite arc and/or an articulator sothat the drilling model or the prosthesis can also be used in simulatingthe movement of the jaw joint. This makes it possible, for example, tocheck the prosthesis and/or the drilling model or to use the prosthesisand/or the drilling model in making or checking a dental prosthesis.

The present invention is not limited to embodiments described herein;reference should be had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for producing a drilling jig todrill a drill hole in a jaw of a patient to insert a tooth implanttherein, the method comprising the steps of: providing a reference platehaving a bipartite design, the reference plate comprising: anindividualized part configured to be adaptable to at least one of thejaw and teeth of the patient, and a standardized plate part comprisingat least two reference markers and at least one first coupling part;adapting the reference plate to the at least one of the jaw and teeth ofthe patient; placing the reference plate on the at least one of the jawand teeth of the patient; creating a three-dimensional digital jaw modelof the at least one of the jaw and teeth of the patient and the at leasttwo reference markers; designing the tooth implant in thethree-dimensional digital jaw model; digitally constructing the toothimplant in the three-dimensional digital jaw model; forming a drillingmodel with a drilling model drill channel using the three-dimensionaldigital jaw model showing the digitally constructed tooth implant,wherein the drilling model is a standardized part comprising at leastone second coupling part configured to respectively couple with the atleast one first coupling part; mounting the drilling model on thereference plate by coupling the at least one second coupling part withthe respective at least one first coupling part; and drilling areference plate drill channel into the reference plate in alignment withthe drilling model drill channel, the reference plate with the referenceplate drill channel thereby forming the drilling jig for drilling thedrill hole in the jaw of the patient for the tooth implant, wherein theat least two reference markers are opaque when capturing athree-dimensional digital jaw model.
 2. A method for producing adrilling jig to drill a drill hole in a jaw of a patient to insert atooth implant therein, the method comprising the steps of: providing areference plate having a bipartite design, the reference platecomprising: an individualized part configured to be adaptable to atleast one of the jaw and teeth of the patient, and a standardized platepart comprising at least two reference markers and at least one firstcoupling part; adapting the reference plate to the at least one of thejaw and teeth of the patient; placing the reference plate on the atleast one of the jaw and teeth of the patient; creating athree-dimensional digital jaw model of the at least one of the jaw andteeth of the patient and the at least two reference markers; designingthe tooth implant in the three-dimensional digital jaw model; digitallyconstructing the tooth implant in the three-dimensional digital jawmodel; forming a drilling model with a drilling model drill channelusing the three-dimensional digital jaw model showing the digitallyconstructed tooth implant, wherein the drilling model is a standardizedpart comprising at least one second coupling part configured torespectively couple with the at least one first coupling part; mountingthe drilling model on the reference plate by coupling the at least onesecond coupling part with the respective at least one first couplingpart; and drilling a reference plate drill channel into the referenceplate in alignment with the drilling model drill channel, the referenceplate with the reference plate drill channel thereby forming thedrilling jig for drilling the drill hole in the jaw of the patient forthe tooth implant, wherein the at least two reference markers are opaquewhen capturing a three-dimensional digital jaw model, and the referenceplate is not opaque when capturing a three-dimensional digital jawmodel.